Florida Governor and Senate candidate Rick Scott says he is asking the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to investigate elections offices in Palm Beach and Broward counties, questioning whether they were trying to inflate the Democratic vote. (Nov. 9)
AP

Rick Scott fights back tears as he talks about his late mother during a speech to supporters after declaring victory his senate race on Tuesday, November 6, 2018, at LaPlaya Beach and Golf Resort in Naples.(Photo: Alex Driehaus/Naples Daily News)

TALLAHASSEE — Republican Gov. Rick Scott, claiming south Florida election officials are fraudulently mishandling ballots, asked the state's top law enforcement agency on Thursday to investigate and filed lawsuits demanding access to ballots narrowing his lead against Democratic U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson.

"I will not stand idly by while unethical liberals try to steal an election," Scott said during a hastily called media appearance Thursday night outside the Governor's Mansion. The event was organized by his political team.

"The people of Florida deserve fairness and transparency," Scott said in prepared remarks. He did not take questions from reporters gathered for the appearance after announcing he was requesting the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to investigate an election in which he was a candidate.

Senator Bill Nelson has called for a recount. Do the vote margins in his race against Rick Scott call for one?
Nate Chute, IndyStar

Scott accused election officials in Broward and Palm Beach counties, two Democratic strongholds, of "rampant fraud" in a vote counting process that has continued two days after the election and sharply narrowed GOP leads in statewide races, even flipping the state agriculture commission race from a Republican Matt Caldwell lead to Democrat Nikki Fried advantage of more than 2,000 votes on Thursday.

“Tonight I am asking the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to investigate this immediately and I am considering every single legal option available,” he said. “No ragtag group of liberal activists or lawyers form D.C. will be allowed to steal this election from the voters of this great state.”

President Donald Trump, who held up GOP wins in Florida as evidence of his success in the midterm elections, chimed in with a tweet on Scott's call for a state investigation Thursday night. "Law enforcement is looking into another big corruption scandal having to do with election fraud in #Broward and Palm Beach. Florida voted for Rick Scott!”

Law Enforcement is looking into another big corruption scandal having to do with Election Fraud in #Broward and Palm Beach. Florida voted for Rick Scott!

"If he has credible proof of rampant fraud, he should make it public immediately," said state Rep. Evan Jenne, who represents south Broward.

Nelson's campaign responded to Scott's claim by criticizing it as a sign he is fearful of losing the election.

“The goal here is to see that all the votes in Florida are counted and counted accurately. Rick Scott’s action appears to be politically motivated and borne out of desperation,” Nelson spokesman Dan McLaughlin said.

The additional ballots counted over the past two days in Broward and Palm Beach have chopped Scott's statewide lead over Nelson by more than half to about 15,000 votes out of more than 8.1 million cast. The additional votes, identified by the county offices as absentee and early in-person votes, also narrowed Republican Ron DeSantis' more than 80,000-vote lead in the Florida governor's race over Democrat Andrew Gillum to about 36,000.

The small margins in those races likely will trigger an automatic recount under Florida law once all of the votes are submitted to the state on Saturday.

"Every day since the election, the left-wing activists in Broward County have been coming out with more and more ballots out of nowhere," Scott said. "We all know what is going on. Everyone in Florida knows exactly what is happening. Their goal is to keep mysteriously finding more votes until the election turns out the way they want it.”

Caldwell applauded Scott's action in a statement Thursday, calling it "decisive action to uphold the integrity and fairness of this election.

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Gov. Rick Scott waves as he walks off stage with his family after declaring victory in his U.S. Senate race against Bill Nelson on Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2018, at LaPlaya Beach and Golf Resort in Naples. Alex Driehaus/Naples Daily News

Irene Parave, left, and Karen Aotfest, right, hold signs as they watch the election results come in during an election night party for Rick Scott on Tuesday, November 6, 2018, at LaPlaya Beach and Golf Resort in Naples. Alex Driehaus/Naples Daily News

Alex Segal, a freshman at FGCU, rests his head on the railing as the election results come in during an election night party for Rick Scott on Tuesday, November 6, 2018, at LaPlaya Beach and Golf Resort in Naples. Alex Driehaus/Naples Daily News

Rick Scott fights back tears as he talks about his late mother during a speech to supporters after declaring victory his senate race on Tuesday, November 6, 2018, at LaPlaya Beach and Golf Resort in Naples. Alex Driehaus/Naples Daily News

Rick Scott and his family cast shadows on a backdrop as Scott speaks to supporters after winning his senate race on Tuesday, November 6, 2018, at LaPlaya Beach and Golf Resort in Naples. Alex Driehaus/Naples Daily News

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"To echo the governor, it is unacceptable that we cannot get an accurate count of how many outstanding ballots remain, while boxes of ballots continue to be 'found,'" Caldwell said.

While ballot counting continued Thursday in Palm Beach and Broward counties, the state's other 65 counties reported completing counts from their early and absentee ballots hours after the polls closed Tuesday.

Earlier on Thursday, Scott's campaign and the National Republican Senatorial Committee filed state lawsuits demanding access to the south Florida ballots, claiming Broward and Palm Beach elections supervisors withheld information about the ballots and requests for the campaign to inspect and review the vote-counting process.

"The lack of transparency raises substantial concerns about the validity of the
election process," states the lawsuit, filed by Scott's campaign and the National Republican Senatorial Committee.

Scott's lawsuit demands a hearing to discuss the handling of the ballots and immediate access to inspect and copy ballots.